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Trucks, SUVs — and Camry — shine in mixed U.S. January vehicle sales

DETROIT — Automakers posted mixed U.S. new vehicle sales data for January, with American consumers continuing to abandon passenger cars for the larger pickup trucks, SUVs and crossover models that manufacturers also love because they are far more profitable. Total industry auto sales for the month rose 1 percent versus January 2016. According to Autodata Corp, which tracks industry sales, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of U.S. car and light truck sales in January fell to 17.12 million units from 17.44 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a January SAAR of 17.2 million units. U.S. auto industry sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million vehicles after hitting a record high in 2016 and are expected to drop further in 2018 despite a solid economy. Interest rates are rising and around 4 million late-model used cars will return to dealer lots this year to compete with more expensive new ones. Automakers have used consumer discounts to boost sales, a growing concern for observers who say this undermines resale values and profits. Discounts declined in January, but remained above 10 percent of manufacturers' recommended prices. ""I think the industry has accepted that (sales) volumes will fall somewhat in 2018 ... and I don't think the industry is going to go over the cliff with insane incentives," Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc, told Reuters after his company, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, posted a higher quarterly net profit. Mark Wakefield, head of the North American automotive practice for consultancy AlixPartners, had a gloomier perspective. The industry's less-than-stellar sales performance for January showed "we are now past the peak," he said. "Automakers are now selling the deal instead of the vehicle," he said. "That's a tough spot to be in because that treadmill is hard to get off once you're on it." General Motors January sales rose 1.3 percent, driven by a 16 percent rise in fleet sales. Sales to consumers fell 2.4 percent. GM posted strong gains for models such as the Silverado pickup truck and Equinox crossover model, while its passenger cars continued to struggle. Ford The Blue Oval posted a 6.6 percent sales decline for January, with retail sales down 4.3 percent. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickup trucks - America's best-selling vehicle brand for decades — rose 1.6 percent. Passenger cars were down more than 23 percent.

Honda sets record for lowest fuel consumption in Europe

If fuel economy over a long distance is of paramount importance, diesel continues to be a fantastic choice of fuel. Honda is the latest company to show that by earning a Guinness World Record for the lowest consumption in a car across the 24 contiguous countries of the European Union. The company's Civic Tourer wagon with a 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel managed the equivalent of 83.5 miles per gallon over 8,387 miles. The 25-day journey was undertaken by Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren – members of Honda's European research and development team. They started from Belgium on June 1 and returned there on June 25 having driven around 7.5 hours each day. Over nearly a month of driving, their wagon only needed its tank filled nine times, and it averaged 932 miles between visits to the diesel pump. The Civic's results are impressive no matter how you look at it. The wagon handily beat the model's stated fuel economy of 61.9 mpg. The crew also beat the recent US record of 81.17 mpg over 8,233.5 miles in a Golf TDI for the best non-hybrid mileage across the 48 contiguous states. Guinness required that the Civic be unmodified from the standard car, and the same two drivers had to pilot it the whole way. The economy was certified via several redundant pieces of evidence, including a logbook, GPS, video, and photographs. McGrath and Warren credited their success to good route planning and smooth driving. Honda sets new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for fuel efficiency, averaging 2.82 liters per 100km (100.31mpg) in 13,498km (8,387 mile) drive across 24 EU countries July 7, 2015 - Honda has set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for 'Lowest fuel consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries (all cars),' recording an average 2.82 liters per 100km (100.31mpg) over 13,498km (8,387 miles), in a 25 day drive across all 24 EU contiguous countries. Behind the wheel of a Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC for the entire journey were two members of Honda's European Research & Development (R&D) team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, who took on the challenge to further demonstrate the impressive real-world fuel economy of the Tourer. The remarkable distance travelled is similar to the team driving to Australia from their home in the UK, stopping just nine times to refuel. The car achieved an incredible average 1500km (932 miles) on each tank of fuel, at a total fuel cost for the whole journey of just 645 Euros* (GBP459).

On Broughams and Alfas | Autoblog Podcast #501

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman discuss the odd history of the oft-recycled Brougham name. (Did you know some people pronounce it "broom" and they're not wrong?) There is of course discussion of what they've been driving lately, and things wrap up with Spend My (Your) Money buying advice to help you, our dear listeners. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #501 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention 2017 Honda CR-V 2017 Porsche Macan GTS 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Brougham the guy and Brougham cars Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:51 Brougham - 37:39 Spend My Money - 47:28 Total Duration: 01:07:02 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Alfa Romeo Cadillac Honda Porsche alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo giulia quadrifoglio porsche macan gts